The most beautiful bookshop

Taken in Maastricht, Netherlands, this is a former Dominican Church that has now been re-developed by Dutch architects Merkx + Girod as a book store, the Selexyz. The architects leveraged the height of the church, preserving the unique landmark setting while achieving the desired commercial square footage. A multi-storey structure in black steel was erected on one side, where the books are kept. The church has been restored to its former glory. From the upper level, faded murals from around 1337 can still be seen (the church itself was consecrated in 1294). Not surprising that The Guardian of UK in 2008 chose this as 'the most beautiful bookshop of all time'.

The most beautiful bookshop

Taken in Maastricht, Netherlands, this is a former Dominican Church that has now been re-developed by Dutch architects Merkx + Girod as a book store, the Selexyz. The architects leveraged the height of the church, preserving the unique landmark setting while achieving the desired commercial square footage. A multi-storey structure in black steel was erected on one side, where the books are kept. The church has been restored to its former glory. From the upper level, faded murals from around 1337 can still be seen (the church itself was consecrated in 1294). Not surprising that The Guardian of UK in 2008 chose this as 'the most beautiful bookshop of all time'.